Thousands of young Finns left without summer jobs

About one in three Finns aged 16–26 who applied for summer work this year failed to secure a position, according to a survey by the Finnish Work Association. Employers report record numbers of applicants, with fast-food chain Hesburger receiving more than twice as many applications as last year.

Among them is Aava Kankainen, 17, from Lahti, who sent applications to summer theatre projects, camp counselling roles, customer service jobs, and several municipal positions. Despite her experience as a trampoline park supervisor last summer, she was not selected. In one case, she reached the third stage of a summer theatre project’s hiring process before being rejected.

“It’s been exhausting and frustrating,” Kankainen said. “You put in so much effort and time, and still don’t get anything. It’s really disheartening.”

She had hoped for summer work to bring structure, income, and experience for the future. “I’m trying to build as many connections and gather as much work experience as possible so that when I really need a job, it’ll be easier,” she said.

A separate report by the NYT Nuorten tulevaisuusraportti found that for the first time since the pandemic, fewer young people are applying for summer jobs. In a survey conducted between January and March, 70% of respondents intended to apply, down from 74% the previous year. Some have given up before trying, deterred by the fierce competition.

Lauri Vaara, a specialist at the Youth Entrepreneurship and Economy organisation, noted that more employers now demand prior experience or education, reducing low-threshold entry-level opportunities. Family background also plays a role: young people whose parents are unemployed are significantly less likely to apply for summer jobs.

Joni Nissilä, project manager at the Foundation for Children and Youth, said many struggle to identify jobs that do not require prior experience, leading to wasted time on futile applications. To address this, the foundation launched Kesätyö.fi, a service listing nearly 19,000 summer jobs open to applicants without experience.

The survey also found that prior work experience shapes attitudes toward employment. Those with experience reported less anxiety about workplace demands and a stronger intention to reapply for summer jobs in the future.